The Theatre and Film Department at San Jacinto College Central Campus presents Santa’s Christmas Magic, a festive student-written play, on December 4–6 and December 11–13, at 7:30 p.m at the Powell Arena Theatre. Sunday matinee performances show on December 7 and 14, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. Special performances for elementary school students will be held on December 4, 5, and 12, at 10 a.m.
Santa Claus will appear during the intermission to visit families, take pictures, and spread Christmas cheer.
Tickets are $13 before December 3, and $15 onward. The box office opens December 1–5 and 8–12, 2025, from 1:30–5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The lighthearted story depicts Santa Claus in his workshop, preparing for the holiday season. However, culprits steal Santa’s magic, and Santa’s elves and friend Clara team up to recover the magic and save Christmas. The production is for anyone seeking a whimsical night out during the holidays.
San Jacinto College students penned Santa’s Christmas Magic in the early 2000s, after the original play planned for the Christmas season fell through due to shipping issues. From that, a San Jac tradition was born—over the years, the play quickly grew from a simple, ten-page script to a full production with returning cast members.
“We have like an alumni night where people that have done it—like myself, and some other faculty members—are back in the cast,” said Jordan West, a former San Jac student turned college Fine Arts Event Coordinator. “The college has its hand in this production, but it mainly belongs to the community and its students.”
Jordan West co-directs the play with Jessica McCarroll, the coordinator of the Center for Teaching and Learning at San Jacinto College. She possesses years of knowledge in the theatre world and has a passion for teaching students at San Jac.
“I’ve been technically working with her since I was a student here,” said West. “What I like the most is that she has a creative vision in a way that even a lot of people do not see—she can see it. And she can always tell our actors, ‘Hey, I see this. You can do it,’ and helps them grow themselves.”
The duo recently finished holding auditions for the show and are excited for the vision they are bringing to the campus this holiday season. The directors believe in a student-first approach, allowing room for both passion and creativity to flourish—especially when it comes to the arts and its importance to the community.
“The one thing I love most is seeing a stage come from nothing into something. Because we get a group of people together—some people may know each other, some may be strangers—and by the time show opens, it’s like we are a whole family. We are putting on a show and hoping that we can illustrate what we have been working on to other families and inspire other people,” said West.
The commitment to the growth of students is evident in the theatre department. Faculty members and professors train their students with this in mind and aim to give actors an education that serves their future well.
“We are in education, and part of our job is to educate and grow our actors. If this is their last place of education, then we are going to give them the best shot. Or if they’re going to university, how can we grow them for what universities are looking for?”
While he oversees campus events, the production is West’s first directing project as an alum.
“I am going to be working on diverse ways to direct; a show that I did as a student director was more of an adult show with kids’ jokes. This one is a kids’ show, and it begs the question: how do I direct our actors to do what we’re envisioning?” he shared. “I get to work with someone else that has been a part of this show for a long time, Jessica McCarroll … she is going to be a big influence.”
West encourages anyone interested in a dash of holiday magic to attend the show. “You have this wonderful story that was made by students and adapted by faculty … (it is) put into this vision to still tell that story, in such a loving and detailed light.”
For more information, email Jordan West at [email protected] or visit the San Jac calendar at https://www.sanjac.edu/calendar#event-details/8a878e03-b913-4614-94af-391e4292da1e.
